“We’ve been very busy,” said Dana Hanson, PTi’s president, in an April 3 interview at NPE2012. “Our backlog is at record levels. The size of machinery we’ve been building is significant. This is what is driving us to expand.”

On a macroeconomic level, Hanson believes the United States is coming out of recessionary lows.

“Our customers are extremely busy. Capital expenditure is at an all-time high,” he said. “Our business has hit record levels the last three years and our products are being well received throughout packaging markets in North America.”

The growth has come as a result of an increase in market share and expansion into new markets including “dryer-less” PET systems. Customers also are retiring older equipment for higher capacity and increased efficiency systems.

Through its expansion in Aurora, Ill., officials will increase overall plant capacity by 50 percent. They will add 40,000 square feet of primary manufacturing and office space. That will take the facility to 100,000 square feet and grow it to nearly 120 employees. PTi will break ground later this year with plans to be fully operational by Spring 2013. PTi will be able to build more complex machinery.

The expansion will include a dedicated feed screw testing and development center that will serve as a “proof-of-process” resource for application development work. Officials wanted a place for customers to conduct process trials and identify potential new business opportunities without interrupting their own operations.

“Customers don’t have the time and can’t afford to take the time to prototype,” said Dennis Paradise, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

The company also is expanding internationally. It has delivered a PET packaging line into Turkey. Its sales are up 40 percent over the same period one year ago.

“Our pipeline has never been bigger than it is right now,” Paradise said.